Marc Marquez registered his first MotoGP class victory in an action packed afternoon at Misano where the tricky conditions caught many riders by surprise. Lorenzo crashed out of the race which means Rossi now leads the championship race by 23 points.

There was lots of excitement as the MotoGP bandwagon entered Misano for the San Marino Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi had won a thrilling rain soaked race at Silverstone and was back again leading the championship entering his home race and Rossi fans were pumped up to say the least as the Grand Prix was sold out. It was Jorge Lorenzo that stole the limelight on Saturday by grabbing yet another pole with Marc Marquez in second and Rossi completing the front row. There was drama at the start of the race itself as few drops of rain could be spotted on camera lenses prior to race start but the grid proceeded with dry-spec machines. Lorenzo made an awesome start to maintain the race lead with Marquez second, Rossi was coming under serious pressure from Pedrosa as he tried to pass him on few occasions. The Italian rider somehow managed to fend off Pedrosa and etch a slight lead ahead of him by end of the first lap. At the same moment, white flags were out signalling to the riders that they can switch to wet-spec machines. 

But the leading pack of riders chose not to switch but it suddenly started pouring and the riders were struggling to ride the slick tyres on wet surface. The trio of riders entered the pits to switch their bikes with Marquez grabbing the race lead, Lorenzo second and Rossi a distant third as he trailed his team-mate by over seven seconds. The pecking order didn’t change for the following set of laps until Marquez ran wide at Turn 8 with 20 laps in the race remaining. Lorenzo utilized this to his benefit and reclaimed the race lead. While the Spaniards were fighting it out for the race lead, Rossi was on the charge.

The Rainmaster’s supremacy can be gauged from the fact that he was almost a second faster than both the riders and it soon turned into a three-way battle for the race lead. With 12 laps remaining in the race, Rossi passes Marquez and Lorenzo to grab the race lead to the delight of the hordes of the Italian fans. Rossi started posting some blisteringly hot laps as Lorenzo and Marquez were just blown off their socks by The Doctor’s pace in wet conditions. Sadly for Rossi track conditions started getting dry but he chose to stick to the track despite the Yamaha pit crew signalling both the riders to switch to dry-spec motorcycles.  

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

The TUV can be had with an aggressive body kit and some extra features and equipment as well.

Mahindra recently launched the TUV300 compact SUV, which the company says has a design inspired by a battle tank. It looks rugged, has a squared jaw and the overall silhouette is more slabs and lines than curves. The manufacturer is also offering a number of accessories as paid options. Some of these can be opted to give the TUV a more decked-up, off-road look, while other accessories add to the convenience and comfort of the compact SUV.

The body kit includes:

• Guard for the lower grille
• Toughened front and rear scuff plates
• Bonnet hull
• Side skirts
• Wheel arches
• Marker lamps

Some of the basic accessories available:

• Chrome surround for the lower grille
• Chrome garnish for fog lamp bezels, door handles, wing mirrors, roof rails and tail-lamps
• Rear spoiler
• Metal-finish wheel cover
• Illuminated scuff plate
• Premium seat covers

Other utilitarian accessories one can buy include:

• Side step
• Aluminium side step
• Roof carrier
• Inflatable roof carrier
• Machined alloy wheels
• Bicycle carrier

In terms of equipment, you can choose from the following:

• Infotainment system
• Rear seat entertainment package with screens
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Thermo-electric chiller
• Head-up display for the driver
• Surround sound enhancer
• Xenon headlamps

Powering the Mahindra TUV300 is a 1.5-litre diesel engine that makes 82.8bhp and 23.4kgm of torque, mated to a five speed manual or an AMT gearbox. It rivals the likes of the Ford Ecosport and the Renault Duster.

Courtesy : Autocar

A seven-seat 85PS Lodgy is being readied for the fleet and taxi operating segment; the 1.5-litre diesel motor will make 83.3bhp.

Fleet owners and taxi service providers offer a burgeoning customer base for carmakers to exploit, and MPVs are quite a popular pick in that segment. Taking cue, Renault is understood to be prepping its Lodgy for the taxi market.

Back in April this year, the French carmaker launched the Lodgy with an optional seven-seat configuration only on the top RxZ trim of the 110PS version. Currently, the more affordable trims are available only in an eight-seat configuration, and this does not allow the MPV to enjoy certain tax benefits available to seven-seater taxis in some states.

Renault is readying a seven-seat variant of the lower 85PS version of the MPV, specifically targeted at the fleet and taxi operating segment. It’ll get two captain seats instead of a bench in the middle.

The Lodgy in the 85PS avatar gets a 1.5-litre diesel engine in a lower 83.8bhp state of tune. It comes mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. This model is priced in the range of Rs 8.29 - 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), subject to trims. At a lower price point for the taxi segment, Renault might actually be able to offer fleet owners one of the most affordable MPVs.

Courtesy : Autocar

The new Pajero Sport will be brought to India as CKD kits, and will be assembled at Hindustan Motors’ Chennai Car Plant (CCP) in Tamil Nadu.

The recently revealed new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is expected to roll into Indian showrooms in mid-2017. It will replace the current car, which is the only model that the Japanese company retails in India. The new Pajero Sport looks a lot more radical, has vastly improved interiors, and comes with a host of safety and driver-assist features.

The new Pajero Sport in the overseas markets uses a 2.4-litre MIVEC turbo diesel engine which comes mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. This is the same engine that does duty in the pick-up truck that the Pajero Sport is based on, and although power figures haven’t been revealed, one can expect an output around 170-180bhp. It also gets a 4WD system, in combination with a new off-road mode.

The new Pajero Sport gets Mitsubishi’s new design language. There’s plenty of chrome, large grille, sleek headlights and uniquely shaped taillights. Step inside and you see the four-spoke multifunction steering wheel, flowing centre console, brushed silver inserts, and leather upholstery.

Equipment on the new car includes a touchscreen infotainment system, a 360-degree camera, seven airbags and an electronic hand brake. Other new assistive features are autonomous braking, blind spot monitoring, descent control and a system to avoid misacceleration.

Mitsubishi will be manufacturing the new Pajero Sport in Thailand, and it’ll be brought to India via CKD. Assembling will take place at Hindustan Motors’ Chennai Car Plant (CCP) in Tamil Nadu. Upon launch, the Pajero Sport will rival the new Ford Endeavour, new Toyota Fortuner and the upcoming Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Courtesy : Autocar

KTM has updated the 690 Duke with additional power and added list of features as part of its updates signalling the fact that production of the 690 Duke will not be stopped soon.

KTM has announced updates for the 690 Duke. As part of the new update, the 2016 KTM 690 Duke gets a power boost that hikes the power output figure to 74PS at 8,500rpm. The torque figure has also been hiked by six per cent in the updated model.  According to the Austrian bikemaker, they have employed larger bore and shorter stroke which has resulted in the bump in power. Also the 2016 KTM 690 Duke will witness a minor displacement increase of 3cc, for 693cc in total. Other changes include larger valves and the new 690 Duke is also Euro IV compliant. The 2016 KTM 690 Duke will be available with three rider modes that consist of Sport, Street and Rain, selectable by the updated left handlebar switch gear.

Other goodies on the new bike include a switchable Bosch ABS as standard fitment while traction control will be an optional add-on. The 2016 KTM 690 Duke will also be the first KTM offering to sport a TFT display screen as part of its instrument cluster. The new updates signal the fact that the KTM 690 Duke will not be discontinued soon. Pictures of the KTM 790 Duke with a twin-cylinder motor undergoing testing were posted recently and it was expected that the 690 Duke will be given the boot. But it seems KTM wants to keep diversity in its product portfolio and the largest single-cylinder displacement production motorcycle will continue to enthral bikers. 

Courtesy : Zigwheels